My Best Catch - Three Wins With One Cast

Perhaps every group of friends that goes on an annual Canadian fishing trip has one or two guys that are anglers for that one week of the year. They know enough to tie a knot and work the net but aren't the go to guy for fishing strategy. In our core group of four guys, that one-week-a-year guy was me.

The limited fishing I do isn't because I don't enjoy fishing, it's just not something that I get to do very often...so, when I do get out on the water, I always put as much time in as I can. The persistent "citidiot" that I am (I think that's an affectionate nickname given me by the other guy on my boat, right?) would negotiate more time on the water even when standard fishing strategy would be to go back to the cabin for a nap or lunch. Negotiations weren't always easy since the 'captain' of my boat had much more experience than me and would lean towards the cabin if the conditions weren't right and the fish weren't biting.

We probably had no business being out on the water with the high sun and flat water, but we had a couple beers left in the cooler and I used those to push for 'one more cast'. I saw a point off an island and asked my buddy to line us up for casting into it. With my 'lure of the year' Rapalla Deep Crank-R ready, I cast towards the edge and started reeling it back in...when, WHAMMIE, something hit the line. My heart jumped, it was immediately obvious that this was bigger than any fish I ever had on the line before. My friend's beer was quickly replaced with a net and I worked to remember all the pointers he gave me during the past few years. The next minute felt like an hour but soon I had a great looking Northern Pike up to the side of the boat and then into the net.

My friend was shocked. I was shocked. Knowing my experience, the entire camp was in shock. While it wasn't a monster that some of you may have as your largest Northern, the 31" pike was the largest that any of our friends landed to that point. As an added bonus, it was the first fish from our camp that qualified for the OFAH Ontario Angler Award.

So, this was my best catch because I had hit the trifecta...biggest Northern Pike (to that point), bragging rights with the OFAH award, and a lifetime of 'one more cast' rights on my boat.

Is your best catch a Northern Pike? Are you the one week a year guy that landed a big one? Send My Canadian Fishing Trip your best catch and we may feature it in a future blog post...that might get you some bragging rights at your camp too!